NEW YORK, March 23, 2020 (US Open Press Release)
The USTA today announced that following an extensive RFP process, Laykold has been selected as the new court surface for the US Open and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The new agreement is in place for five years. The 2020 US Open begins on Monday, August 24 with US Open Fan Week and the US Open Qualifying Tournament. The Main Draw of the 2020 US Open runs from August 31, through September 13.
The new Laykold courts will be manufactured by Advanced Polymer Technology (APT), a member of Sport Group, the world’s largest business dedicated to sports surfaces. APT is unique in the industry for its fully integrated global supply chain – from raw materials to installation. This integrated supply chain will allow for the consistency in court quality control, playing performance and sustainability. Laykold courts are the only courts with vapor barrier designed specifically for the court system, which also greatly increases consistency in both court performance and court speed.
The Laykold courts also come with the strongest environment credentials in the industry. APT is the only ISO 14001 environmental-certified court manufacturer in the world. As such, they are fully compliant with all aspects of sustainability and aligned with the USTA’s sustainability commitments and values.
“At the conclusion of the complete transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we felt it was time to explore all new approaches and technologies to court surfacing,” said Danny Zausner, Chief Operating Officer of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “During this exploration, Laykold quickly rose to the top, and working with them, we are confident we will have the best-playing and best-performing courts in the world.”
“Laykold has been trusted in the tennis court industry for 75 years and to add the US Open to our roster of major events around the world is a landmark moment for us,” said Jim Sacco, Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Polymer Technology. “We have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase our quality at the world’s biggest tennis tournament, and we are delighted to have been chosen. We are grand slam ready.”
Laykold also provides court surfaces for many professional tennis events and professional tennis exhibitions around the world, including the Miami Open and New York Open. The USTA has previously utilized Laykold at three Fed Cup ties held in the United States.
📽️ Watch the build of the iconic black @laykold courts @NYCBLive. #laykold #trusted #chosen #advancingcourtsports pic.twitter.com/eGkwKtXoTq
— #NYOpen (@NewYorkOpen) February 19, 2020
